Treatment of textile materials



menial Dec. *5, .1939

sAras' ama or M George W. Seymour, Cumberland, Mil, asslgnor to Celanese Corporation of America, a corporation of Delaware No Drawing. Application March's, 1999,

Serial No. 259,802

31 Claims.

This invention relates to the treatment of filaments and yarns and relates more particularly to the conditioning of filaments or yarns made of organic derivatives of cellulose whereby the same arerendered more amenable to'textile operations such as weaving or knitting. The invention also relates to fabrics which may be made from or contain organic derivative of cellulose yarns.

The principal object of the present invention is to condition filaments or yarns comprising organic derivatives of cellulose to improve their workability in textile operations such as spinning,

. twisting, coning, pirning, h'anking, weaving, knitting and the like.

A further object of my invention is to treat yarns containing organic derivatives of cellulose with a conditioning. fluid whereby they are rendered more pliable and therefore more adapted for use in textile operations such as knitting,

wherein the yarns are subjected to sudden and frequent bends and turns.

A further object of the present invention is to treat organic derivative of cellulose yarns with a conditioning fluid containing different types of lubricants andsofteners and other ingredients so that fabrics made from such yarns present a uniform appearance.

Still another object of the present invention is the preparation of a conditioning fluid for organic derivative of cellulose yarns which is stable, easily applied and does not deleteriously affect the yarn, even upon long standing. Other objects of my invention will appear from the following description and the appended claims. p Many substances such as vegetable and mineral oils, both normal and specially treated, have been employed for lubricating or conditioning yarns in order to render them more suitable for winding, twisting, weaving, knitting and the like. While these substances have resulted in some improvement in the yarns, they still left much to be desired and in addition presented problems of their own. Thus, the oils tend to gum or polymerize with time so that yarns lubricated or conditioned therewith, if not used promptly, do not run smoothly due to the hardening of the oil. Also such gumming or polymerization makes it'difiicult for the conditioning agent to be removed from the fabrics made with such yarns. The latter gives rise to streaks which are still further accentuated when the fabric is dyed. Also such compositions as were heretofore used would not always function evenly and smoothly dueto uneven penetration into the yarns treated or 6o culty in applying them uniformly,

I have found that these and other disadvantages arising out of the use of known conditioning fluids can be avoided by the use of conditioningfluids containing several ingredients, each possessing certain properties which render the combination highly useful in conditioning; organic derivative of cellulose yarns. Yarns treated with such a composition behave much more satisfactorily in winding, twisting, weaving and knitting and like operations than do untreated yarns or yarns treated with known conditioning fluids. Moreover, I have found that yarns treated with my conditioning fluids are not deleteriously affected upon'storage and in some cases may even be improved after being stored for a time. Other advantages are also impartedto the yarn by my conditioning fluid as will appear hereinafter.

In accordance with my invention I treat yarns containing organic derivatives of cellulose witha. conditioning agent comprising substances which act as lubricants for yarn on yarn, as lubricants for yarn on metal or porcelain, agents to increase the pen trating and spreading power of the compositid ubstances which soften the fibers, of the yarn, substances which aid in emulsifying the composition and also facilitate the removal of -the same by scouring etc. after its work is done,

for example, in the dyeing or finishing treatment of the fabric. Other materials may also be added to prevent or minimize the tendency for separaganic esters. of 5 cellulose are cellulose acetate,

cellulose formate, cellulose propionate and cellulose butyrate 'or mixed esters such as cellulose acetate butyrate or cellulose acetate propionate, while examples of cellulose others are ethyl cellulose, methyl cellulose and benzyl cellulose. How,-

ever, I prefer to use cellulose acetate which may or may not be soluble in acetone. Specifically I prefertov use acetone-soluble cellulose acetate having an acetyl value of52 to 56%. Preferably Wit calculated as aceticQacid. This yarn need not consist wholly of yarns 0 organic derivatives of cellulose but may'also contain fibers of other materials such as natural silk, artificial fibers of reconstitutedcellulose, wool, cotton, etc.- The yarns of organic derivatives of cellulose may be formed from. continuous filaments or the same may be spun from short staples This invention is applicable ,to the treatment of line filaments, or a plurality of such fine filaments associated together in the form of yarn or larger filaments such as artificial bristles, horsehair,-straw and the like, and also to fabrics 'or other articles formed therefrom. If desired, the yarns or other textile material made or treated in' accordance with this invention may have finely divided pigment-like material, such as titanium dioxide, antimony trioiride, stannic oxide, starch, highly melting insoluble ofganic compounds and the like, incorporated therein, whereby they have a subdued luster. This lubricant is also satisfactory for yarns in which a transparent pigment has been added to alter the characteristics of the yarn without subduing the luster.

As pointed out above, my conditioning agent comprises a'mixture of several ingredients. This mixture is highly lubricative not only as between the yarn and the metal or porcelain parts it may contact in the various operations but also as between yarn and yarn, thereby-facilitating the various operations such as conlng, banking, twisting, winding, warping, reeling, weaving, knitting and other textile operations. Moreover, the

composition of this mixture is such that it can be applied uniformly very easily with the conventional devices, and it wets or penetrates the yarns or fabrics very quickly. The yarn treated with this conditioning fluid is softened so that it can be easily'processed with little or no static being developed. Furthermore, the conditioning agent is readily emulsifiable due to the amine soap formed therein, rendering it easily removable in the usual dyeing and scouring treatments .to which fabrics are subjected. w

My novel conditioning fluid comprises a mix- Q ture of white mineral oil, a sulphouated vegetable oil such as olive oil, air aryi phosphate such as tricresyl phosphate, a fatty acid and an alkylolamine. An animal oil lubricant such as sperm oil may also'be' present. White, mineral oils, preferably those with a paraflln base, having a viscosity of 65 to 75 seeonds iSaybolt Universal at 100 F.) have been found to give the best results in this mixture. The sulphonated vegeand the sulphonated vegetable oil, particularly in improving the .yarn on yarn lubrication. With reference to the aryl phosphate, I have found that the best results are obtained by the use of tricresyl phosphate. This appears to have a beneficial effect on all ofthe individual ingredients of the conditioning agents, increasing the lubricative value of the oils, reducing the development of static, increasing the mutual solubiliiw of the several constituents, lowering the viscosity.

of the conditioning fluid as a whole andimproving the wetting power of the same. The emulsiflability of the conditioning fluid is improved by the presence of an amine soap which is preferably formed in the fluid itself by adding thereto a hydroxylated amine, such as triethanolamine, and a fatty acid such as oleic acid. The amine and the fatty acid are preferably added in atq chioor short lengths of such filaments and such spun 1 yarn may also contain fibers of cotton, wool, etc.

metric proportions, so that no separation results on cooling. The presence of this soap also renders it unnecessary to add any anti-static agent even if the yarn is used for warping, and also increases the wetting out and penetration of a water soluble size prior to weaving.

The proportions of the several ingredients may be varied to some degree, depending somewhat on the use to which the yarn is to be put and the properties which it is desired toemphasize. Thus where itis desired to increase the spreading and. wetting properties the amount of tricresyl phosphate may be increased. Where the hand of the yarn is of special importance the amount of sulphonated oil or softening agent should be increased. Also the amount of mineral oil can be varied from 50-75% depending on the lubricity desired, the mode of application and the like.

In order further to illustrate myrinvention but without being limited thereto, the following specific examples of suitable conditioning fluids are given. v

Example I Parts by weight White mineral oil, 60 to 75 seconds viscosityi0. 0

Oil-soluble suiphonated oli ye oil....;.,..... 5. 0 Sperm nil 2. 5 Tricresyi phosphate '8. d Oleic a 9. 2 Triethanola 4. 9

Example If V Parts by weight White mineral oil, 50 seconds viscosity 64. 3 Tricresyl phosphate 11.6 Oleicacid 10. 9 Triethauola 5..1 Sulphonated olive oil 5. 0 Sperm nil 2. 5

Example III w Parts by weight White mineral oil, 60 to '70 seconds vis- I cosity 62. 5 Tricresyl phosphate "I. 60 01913 acid 8. Triethanolarninn 4. Sperm nil 2. 25 Technical oieyl alcohol"; 0. Oxidized olive, sperm or teaseed oil.. 14. 5

r, Exampl Parts by weight White mineral oil, to seconds viscosity 62.5 Oil-soluble sulphonated oliveoil. 4.5- Sperm o 2.25 Tricresyl phosphate 7.60 Olelc arid 8.3 'llriethanolamine 4.1 Oleyl alcoh l 0.45 Oxidized olive, sperm or teaseed oil 10.00

Example 1! Partsby weight White mineral oil, 65 to seconds viscosity 71.8

Oil-soluble sulphcnated olive oil. 5.15 Tricresyl phosphate 8.60 Oleic acid 9.45 Triethanolamine 5.00

0.5% commercial oleyl, lauryl and similar-alcohols may be added to the above formulae to de-' crease separation tendencies when subjected to low temperatures encounteredin transportation and the like. As stated above, it is preferred .to balance the tricthanolamine and oleic acid so that stoichio- Taieaaas triethanolamine causes an undesirable increase in the viscosity of the conditioning fluid while an-excess of oleic acid has a tendency to sensitize the yarn to delustering on storage. Howev it is possible to decrease the triethanolamine to a considerable degree where it is desired to reduce the viscosity of the conditioning fluid and to lower the cloud point." This reduction in the amount of amine, however, renders the oil more diflicultly emulsiflable. Where it is desired to obtain emulsification in order to facilitate application by emulsion methods or removal by simple washing,

the viscosity of the conditioning fluid may be reduced by substituting a portion of the triethanolamine with a non-hydroxylated amine, as for instance, triamylamine, butyldiamylamine and other amines of high boiling point and low vapor pressure. The compatibiilty of the ingredients may be increased without seriously altering the lubricative qualities of the conditioning fluid by substituting naphthenic-base petroleum oils for the mineral oils.

The conditioning fluids preferably have a viscosity (Saybolt'Universal, 100 F.) of 80 to 200 seconds. They may be applied by means of wicks, rollers, discs or other suitable furnishing devices ,to the cellulose acetate filaments immediately after leaving the dry spinning machine and prior to their being wound, or twisted and wound; or they maybe applied to the yarns during any subsequent textile operation. They are self-emulsifying in water and may be applied as sucheither with or without a cellulose acetate dyeing or tinting material. If the yarn is intended primarily for knitting purposes the amountof conditioning liquid applied will be from 1 to 10% of the weight of the yarn: If the yarn is intended primarily for weaving the amount of conditioning liquidapplied'may be only 1 to 5% of theweight of the yarn.

. Fabrics may be impregnated with such conditioning fluids or the fluid may be padded thereon in any suitable manner.

Yarns treated inaccordance with this invention are very pliable and flexible and may be subjeeted to operations such as coning, pirning,

Winding, banking and the like or they may be knitted or woven to form knitted or woven materials, hosiery or other articles.

Yarns treated with my novel conditioning fluids have many more advantages. As pointed out above, they are flexible and pliable and they retain {these properties even after storage for a long time. Thus the yarns regardless of their age, can be readily rewound from theiroriginal packagesor subjected to any textile operations. The yarns treated in accordance with this inven-: tion take sizes very readily which obviously is a very important advantage.-

Yarns treated as herein set out may be knittedoncircular knitting machines or on warp knitting machines to produce fabrics of many wales and courses per unit length, which fabrics are substantially free of pin holes, distortions, tension lines, rowiness and the like. In fact .yarns so .treated may be commercially knitted on certain circular knitting machines on which similar untreated yarns or yarns treated with other con-' ditioning fluids cannot be commercially utilized.

Yarns'treated in accordance with this invention produce woven fabrics that are substantially free of warp streaks or weft bars in contrast with yam lubricated by prior methods. Fabrics produced from such yarn have less tendency to subsequent shrinkage.

.vantage possessed by yarns treated in accordance initial shrinkage thus giving greater flexibility in the finalflnished width without encounterin Another important adwith the present invention is their eminent suitability for the production of crepe yarns whereinthe crepe twist is inserted in the presence of 7 ments. This is an important factor in the case of the dyeing or delustering of hosiery or other knitted wears and in the case of dyeing or delustering woven fabrics on a winch or similar apparatus where the material is treated in folded form.

It is to be understood that the foregoing detailed description is merely given by way of illustration and that many variations may be made therein without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having described my invention, what I desire to ecure by Letters Patent is:

1. Method of. conditioning textile materials containing organic derivatives of cellulose, which comprises applying thereto a conditioning fluid comprising a mineral oil, a softening agent for the organic derivative of cellulose, an aryl phosphate, a higher fatty acid and an alkylolamine.

'2. .Method of conditioning textile materials containing organic derivatives of cellulose, which comprises applying thereto a conditioning fluid comprising a mineral oil, a sulphonated vegetable oil, an aryl phosphate, .a higher fatty acid and an alkylolamine.

3. Method of conditioning textile materials containing organic derivatives of cellulose, which comprises applying thereto a conditioning fluid comprising a mineral oil, a sulphonated vegetable oil, and aryl phosphate, a higher fatty acid, an alkylolamine and oleyl alcohol;

4. Method of conditioning textile materials containing cellulose acetate, which comprises applying thereto a conditioning fluid comprising .alkylola'mine. I 6. Method of, conditioning 'yarns containing cellulose acetate, which comprises applying there: ,toa conditioning fluid comprising a water-white mineral oil, a sulphated alcohol, sperm oil, a tricresyl phosphate. a ,higher fatty acid and an ethanolamine.

'7. Method of conditioning yarns containing cellulose acetate, which comprises applying thereto a conditioning fluid comprising a water-white mineral oil, an oxidized oil of the type of .oxidized sperm, olive and teaseed oils, sperm oil, a tricresyl phosphate, a higher fatty acid and an ethanolamine.

8. Method of conditioning yarns containing a mineral oil, a sulphonated vegetable oil, an aryl phosphate, a higher fatty acid and an alkylolnated olive oil, 2.5 parts sperm oil, 8.4 parts of tricresyl phosphate, 9.2 parts of oleic acid, 4.9

parts of triethanolamine and 0.5 port of oleyl'" alcohol.

' 10. Method of conditioning yarns containing a cellulose acetate, which comprises applying thereto a conditioning fluid comprising 62.5 parts of water-white mineral oil having a viscosity'of 60 to 70 seconds, 7.60 parts of tricresyl phosphate, 8.30 parts of oleic acid, 4.35 parts of triethanolamine, 2.25 parts of sperm oil, 0.45 part of technical oleyi alcohol and 145 parts of oxidized-olive, sperm or teaseed oil.

11. Textile material comprising an organic derivative of cellulose having applied thereto a conditioning agent comprising a mineral oil, a softening agent for the organic derivative of cellulose, an aryl phosphate, a higher fatty acid and an alkylolamine.

12..Textile material comprising cellulose acetate having applied thereto a conditioning agent comprising a mineral oil, a softening agent for the cellulose acetate, an aryl phosphate, a higher fatty acid and an alkylolamine.

'13. Yarn comprising an orangic derivative of agent comprising'a mineral oil, a sulphonated.

vegetable ofl, an animal 011, an aryl phosphate, a higher fatty acid and an alkylolamine.

14. Yarn' comprising an organic derivative of cellulose having applied thereto 'a conditioning agent comprising a mineral oil, an oxidized oil of the type of oxidized sperm, olive and teaseed oils, an animal oil, an aryl phosphate, a higher fatty acid and an alkylolamine.

15. Yarn comprising cellulose acetate having applied thereto a conditioning agent comprising a water-white mineral oil,-an oxidized oil of the type of oxidized sperm,jolive and oils, sperm oil, a tricresyl phosphate, a higher fatty acid and an ethanolamine.

16. Yarn comprising-an organic derivative of cellulose having applied thereto a conditioning agent comprising a water-white mineral 'oil'having a viscosity of 60 "to '75 seconds, an oil-soluble sulphonated olive oil, sperm oil, tricresyl phosphate, oleic acid and, an alkylolamine.

17. Yarn comprising an organic derivative of celiulflfi applied thereto a conditioning agent comprising a water-white mineral oil having a viscosity of 60-to 75 seconds, an oil-soluble.

sulpho'nated olive oil, sperm oil, tricresyl phosphate,-oleic acid, an alkylolamine and oleyl alcohol.

18. Yarn comprising cellulose acetate having greases amine.

20. Yarn comprmng an organic derivative of cellulose having applied thereto a conditioning agent comprising 69.5 parts of water-white -mineral oil having a viscosity of 60 to 75 seconds,

5.0 parts of oil-soluble sulphonated olive oil, 2.5 parts sperm oil, 8.! parts of tricresyl phosphate, 9.2 parts of oleic acid, 4.9 parts of triethan'olamine and 0.5 port of oleyl alcohol.

21. Yarn comprising cellulose acetate having applied thereto a conditioning agent comprising 62.5 parts of water-white mineral oil having a viscosity of 60 to 70 seconds, 7.60 parts of tricresyl phosphate, 8.30 parts of oleic acid, 4.35

parts of triethanolamine, 2.25 parts of sperm oil,

0.45 part of technical oleyl alcohol and 14.5 parts of oxidized olive, sperm or teaseed oil.

22. A conditioning agent for the treatment of textile materials containing an organic derivalive of cellulose which comprises a mineral .oil, a softening agent for the organic derivative of cellulose, an aryl phosphate, a higher fatty acid and an alkylolamine.

23. A conditioning agent for the treatment of textile materials containing an organic derivative of cellulose which comprises a mineral oil, a softening agent for the organic derivative of cellulose, an aryl phosphate, a' higher fatty acid, an alkylolamine and a member selected from the group of oleyl and lauryl alcohols.

24. A conditioning agent for the treatment of textile materials containing an organic derivative of cellulose which comprises a water-white mineral oil, a sulphonated vegetable oil, 'a triaryl rmphate, a higher fatty acid and an alkylol e. 7 25.. A conditioning agent for the treatment of textile materials containing an organic derivative of cellulose which comprises a water-white mineral oil, an oxidized oil of the type of oxidized sperm, olive and oils, sperm oil, a triaruzgighosphate, a higher-fatty acid and an alkylol- 26. A. agent for the treatment of yarn containing an organic derivative of cellolose which comm-mes a water-white mineral oil, a partially suiphonated vegetableloil, sperm oil, a tricresyl te, a'higher fatty acid and an ethyiolamine.

yarn containing an organic derivative of cellulose which comprises a water-white mineral oil having a ty of 60 to '15 seconds, an oil-soluble sulphonated olive oil, sperm oil, tricresyl phosphate, oleic acid and an alkylolamine.

28. A conditioningagent for the treatment of yarn containing an organic derivative of cellulose which a water-white mineral oil hav ing a viscosity of 60 to 'l5seconds, an oil-soluble sulphonated olive oil, sperm oil, tricresyl phosphate, oleic acid and triethanolamine, the, latter two ts being present in stoichiometric Dmmrtions'to form a soap.

29. A conditioning agent for the treatment of yarn containing an organic derivative of cellulose which comprises a water-white mineral oil having a of 60 to '55 seconds, an oil-soluble sulphonatcd olive oil, spermoil, tricresyl phosphate, oleyl alcohol, oleic ac d and triethanole v '55 7 2']. A con agent for the-treatment of r in stoichiometric proportions to form a soap.

-30. A conditioning agent for the treatment of yarn containing an organic derivative of cellulose which comprises '70 parts of water-white mineral oil having a viscosity ofp60 to 75 seconds, 5.0 parts of oil-soluble sulphonated olive oil, 2.5

parts sperm oil, 8.4 parts of tricresyl phosphate,

9.2 parts of oleic acid and 4.9 'parts of triethanol- 10 amine.

31. A conditioning agent for the treatment of yarn containing an organic derivative of cellulose which comprises 62.5 parts of water-white mineral oil having a viscosity of 60 to 70 seconds, 7.60 parts of tricresyl phosphate, 8.30 parts of .oleic acid, 4.35 parts of triethanolamine, 2.25 sperm oil, 0.45 part of technical oleyl alcohol and 14.5 parts of oxidized olive, sperm or teaseed GEORGE W. SEYMOUR. 

